Thing 12: "Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell"

It's a mystery to me why I haven't set up a Delicious account sooner, given that I can utterly see the point of it. While there are some links I only really use at work, and some I only use at home - which can therefore be cheerfully be bookmarked in the browser on home and work computers - there are some that I don't use everyday, that I won't remember without prompting, and that I might want to access from anywhere. Foremost in this list would be 'articles I saw somewhere-or-other but didn't have time to read immediately'. With these all neatly stored away in Delicious under 'toreadandinwardlydigest' they'll be available to me whenever and wherever I have a chance to read them. Very handy.

I also like the design of the site - clean, clear and simple. I like the ability to organise tags into bundles, the choice between viewing them as a list or as a cloud, and between them sorted aplhabetically or by frequency of use. The tools are handy, too, although I'm not sure I'll go all the way and embed a tag cloud or bookmark-roll on my own blog. What do you think?

I can definitely see the merit of using Delicious in a library or other information-management environment. To my mind, it's a great way of disseminating links and resources. Because it's a dynamic tool, users can pick out the links they're interested in by using and combining tags, rather than having to read all through a list put together by someone else: there should be a higher wheat-to-chaff ratio for each individual user than on a static page. From a librarian's perspective, it's also probably easier to maintain than a page of links written in a CMS or in straight html. One disadvantage of using Delicious is, however, that you will be referring users to an outside site if they want the full functionality of the service rather than just a 'latest links' widget embedded somewhere else. This means that they might not realise that the service is being provided and managed by the Library.

I haven't really investigated the 'community' aspect of Delicious yet, so I can't comment of the usefulness of being able to search other people's tags. As with so much, I expect that the value is dependent on the like-mindedness or otherwise of you and the other however-many-millions. It's probably fun to search, but I'd be surprised if it was an efficient search tool.

One final thought: where do I bookmark the Delicious homepage?

P.S. Magistra et Mater's thoughtful post on Delicious comes highly recommended if you're looking for another opinion.

Thing 11: "I am aweary of this moon"

Oh dear, oh dear, I've really been procrastinating over getting round to doing Thing 11, and all because I really don't feel like watching a bunch of random slideshows.  If I could remember any interesting presentations I've seen at conferences I'd have a search for them, but nothing much springs to mind right now.  But here I am, knuckling down, and leaning heavily on the Cam23-supplied prompts:

What are your thoughts about the tool?
I somehow don't like how it looks, and I'm not sure why.  The advanced search could be easier to find, and I'd like to be able to search for users via their user names but also by searching their user information.  Something has made the BBC live radio player hang a couple of times, and I suspect it might be Slideshare, so it's not very popular with me right now.  But it certainly fills a niche, and I can't see any glaring problems with the way it delivers slides.

It's worth noting that writing a slideshow for independent use is different to writing it to be talked to in real time, so some of the show work better than others.

What particular benefits to your Library are there from using Slideshare?
I think having induction/information presentations online for readers to use could be useful - it's one more way of reaching people, and it's often easier to explain how to use a service in bit-sized picture heavy formats than in a wall of text.  Screen recording tools (like those discussed by Phil Bradley here)  also seem useful for this.

Did you find any interesting presentations that you would like to share?
This isn't the prettiest presentation ever (and a couple of words drop off the bottom of the screen), but it's a good basic introduction and works well without the original speaker .

Using the Social Web to Promote and Provide Access to Special Collections

View more presentations from Colleen Greene.

Did you find any other users from a Cambridge University or College library?
No, but I didn't look very hard (Bad Girl! No biscuit!).

Will you use Slideshare in the future?
Yes, I'll certainly use Slideshare or something similar in the future to make available presentations that I give in the Library, at conferences, for public events etc.

CILIP Update: Elspeth Hyams responds

Yesterday, the last day of the CILIP conversation, I posted some thoughts about the online version of Update, CILIP's monthly professional magazine.  This morning I received an email from Elspeth Hyams, editor of Update, asking if I would consider posting the following text, and I am happy to do so.

It is always good to receive comment on Update's content and the delivery channels we are using to deliver it to members. We introduced a digital edition to complement the hard-copy magazine in October 2008. It was a first step. This year we have added web-only issues with video and audio content (impossible in print). We’ve also built up a two-year digital archive. And we are publishing more frequently, despite having to cut our costs significantly.

Update's digital edition enables us to keep publishing despite the recession. The web-only issues significantly reduce our print and distribution costs. You personally may prefer a digital issue, but many of our readers do not. They say they already spend so much of their time at computer screens. That is why we have introduced the option for members and subscribers to download a PDF copy. Those who prefer can read the magazine at their leisure.

Update's turn-the-page digital offering is a format publishers worldwide are using. It offers the opportunity to develop apps that allow download to iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices, so we are in good company.

We are also investigating how we can launch an app as we respond to members’ requests for access via mobile devices. However, as with all such developments, cost is an issue. In our current economic circumstances we need to be sure any such development delivers real value and is not just 'nice to have.'

Of course, cost efficiency is a key driver for CILIP at present, and developing database-driven online information services is frighteningly expensive. The Guardian website, for example, may be a dream to use but it has cost a fortune. CILIP just does not have the resources to match this type of service, but it is using one of the UK's leading developers for its digital offerings and they are being enhanced all the time. Just look at the difference between the new web-only digital issues (lots of links to facilitate navigation, video and audio content) and the archive copies (a simple facsimile of the original print edition).

We have a strong and dedicated readership for the hard copy magazine and are building up a significant readership for our new web-only issues too, which have been well received, and praised by some members. They especially appreciate the quality content we provide. Where we can, we have taken their views into account and made many changes to the initial offering. It is not perfect, but every issue is better than the last.

Taking into account the options available, and our current cost constraints, we believe we are on the right track. We do hope that if you read the content, you will find it of increasing value to you - whatever the delivery platform.

By the way, who are you? Shouldn't you have the courage of your convictions and identify yourself? We do!

Elspeth Hyams, Editor, Library and Information Update

I'm keeping myself anonymous on this blog for the time being as I'm new to blogging (those coming in fresh from elsewhere might not know that I've taken this up as part of Cam23) and I'd rather make my mistakes without my name all over them for the time being.  If you would like to know who I am, you can always email me at maedchenimmond at gmail dot com.